Since the devastating fire in April 2019, the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has remained inaccessible to the public. However, it is set to host an array of global dignitaries and influential figures. These include the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, and the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Initially, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was expected to be a part of this esteemed gathering. However, she had to call off her participation at the last moment on Friday evening. Earlier that day, she had stirred up a controversy in France by jetting off to Uruguay. Here, she signed a trade pact with the South American Mercosur bloc, a move that had previously been met with strong opposition from Paris.
The information in this article has been compiled with the help of Veronika Melkozerova.
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